Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

Hoose, Phillip. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009. 144 pages. Tr. $19.95 ISBN 978-0-374-31322-7.

Annotation: Before Rosa Parks became famous for refusing to give up her bus seat, Claudette Colvin, a black teenager, initiated the protest that led to the Montgomery Bus boycott and the desegregation of public areas by first refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. This is the story that history missed.

Summary: Fed up with the injustice that accompanied Jim Crow segregation, Claudette Colvin was an early civil rights pioneer. Only fifteen years old, she was the first person to refuse to give up a bus seat to a white person. Rosa Parks did a similar thing about nine months later and was hailed as a hero. Unfortunately, for Claudette, after she was arrested, she was spurned classmates and ignored by community leaders. Later Claudette championed for equal rights when she was a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, a landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery. But Claudette was again largely disregarded for her heroic efforts, probably as a result of her unplanned pregnancy and expulsion from school.

Evaluation: The author has done excellent research for this book taking an in-depth look at Claudette’s life; he conducted many personal interviews with Claudette. Phillip Hoose wove together a gripping story with Claudette rightfully playing a central role in Montgomery’s civil rights drama. This informative book is replete with black-and-white period photographs and reprints of newspaper articles and other documents making it a visual historic treat. Recommended for ages 9 to 16.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Non-Fiction, Racism, African Americans, Biography, History, Civil Rights Movement

Awards: 2009 National Book Award Winner - Young People’s Literature, 2010 Newbery Medal Honor Book, 2010 Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book Award, 2010 ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2010 ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2010 ALA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Honor Book

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball. Disney Press, 2008. 96 pages. Tr. $18.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-0832-8.

Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball. Narrated by Dion Graham. Brilliance Audio, 2009. CD, 120 minutes. $19.99 ISBN 978-1-4233-7536-4.

Annotation: The history, life style, challenges, discrimination, and popularity of Negro League Baseball from the 1920’s until 1947 is explored through text and paintings.

Summary: This is a fitting tribute to Negro League Baseball. It describes the beginning and history of the leagues, the players, the style of play and the league’s ultimate collapse when Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. An elderly fictional baseball player gives an insider account of what is was like to experience segregated baseball. Since blacks were banned from playing in the major leagues, Rube Foster organized the Leagues and offered African Americans the chance to earn a living playing baseball. The accounts of great players like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige are detailed. The impact of racism is discussed as well as how the League ultimately enabled black players to be given the chance to play in the major leagues.

Evaluation: This history book reads like a compelling story. Nine chapters (or innings) are chronologically presented with beautifully vivid muscular oil paintings spread throughout. The conservational text and the larger-than-life illustrations complement each other. The history of the Negro leagues and the discrimination that the players endured are brought to life. Recommended for ages 6 to 16.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Non-Fiction, Sports, Baseball, African Americans, History, Racism, Discrimination

Awards: 2009 Coretta Scott King Award Winner – Author, 2009 Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book – Illustrator, Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Winner- Children’s Book, 2009 ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2010 Odyssey Honor Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production, 2010 ALA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Award